Scafell Pike was given to the National Trust by Lord Leconfield after the first world war.
Photograph: Joe Cornish/Getty Images/VisitBritain RM

National Trust rangers have started to rebuild England’s highest war memorial on the summit of Scafell Pike to mark 100 years since the end of the first world war.

The mountain was given to the trust by Lord Leconfield when the conflict ended, in memory of the thousands of men from the Lake District who had fought and died.

Despite strong winds, rain and thick mist, the mission to rebuild the cairn got under way with the team of seven rangers making their way up.

Most of them descend each day after many hours of hard labour, returning the following morning. But a number have set up camp near the summit while the work continues.

Some set about the painstaking task of picking apart the cairn to then reset it with replacement rocks and to also take out the various items that have been buried over the years.

The 7.5-metre-wide landmark, which stands at 978 metres above sea level, has been added to by the hundreds of thousands of walkers that climb the mountain each year and is now in desperate need of restoration.

As the outer layer was pulled away, pieces of litter appeared that have been hidden for decades, including broken urns, family photos, bits of clothing and items of jewellery.

National Trust ranger Iain Gray works on rebuilding the summit cairn and war memorial at Scafell Pike. Photograph: Tom White/Getty Images

More than 250,000 people make their way up each year and, along with erosion by the elements, some of the paths now sprawl like scars across the landscape.

Steve Jolley, the area ranger for Wasdale, said: “We will fix the erosion on the footpath network above 2,000ft, which was part of the original gift from Lord Leconfield.

“A lot of these paths have encroached on some very fragile vegetation like dwarf willow so our plan is to shrink them in but still accommodate all the people that go up each year.

As part of the 100-year commemorations we’re trying to raise awareness as well that the uplands are a very special place

Steve Jolley, ranger

“As part of the 100-year commemorations we’re trying to raise awareness as well that the uplands are a very special place.

“They do get a lot of use and sometimes abuse and they’re under a lot pressure with things like the Three Peaks Challenge and the vast amounts of litter we pick off each year. So we want to raise that awareness that it’s somewhere to enjoy but also somewhere to respect.”

The team will place a time capsule into the stone wall of the cairn, filling it with details on the work undertaken, including plans, photos and information about the rangers themselves.

The capsule will act as a record of the conservation work that goes into maintaining the mountain, which has had numerous repairs during the last century with the last major work taking place in the 1980s.

A hiker on Scafell Pike. More than 250,000 people make their way up each year. Photograph: Alamy

Sam Stalker, the National Trust’s lead ranger on Scafell Pike, said: “It’s great that so many people are able to enjoy Scafell Pike and the surrounding peaks each year. The mountains will be here forever, but they need ongoing care.

“Repairing the cairn is just part of the work we’ll be doing this year to keep Scafell Pike looking its best. It’s an exciting opportunity to share what we’re doing with our visitors and show them the hard work that goes into maintaining the Lakes for them and future generations to enjoy.”

The National Trust also plans to light a beacon on top of Scafell Pike on Armistice Day, just as Lord Leconfield did on Peace Day on 19 July 1919.